Basic Unity Course: Implementing Network Room Creation

In this course, we will learn how to implement the feature of creating a simple network room using the Unity engine. Unity is a widely used platform for game development, and the latest networking framework has made multiplayer game development easier than ever. This tutorial will cover the basics of using Unity and its networking features while explaining how to create and manage a simple multiplayer room.

1. Project Setup

Before starting with Unity, you need to set up a project. Follow the steps below:

1. Run Unity Hub and create a new project.
2. Select ‘3D’ as the template and appropriately name your project.
3. Click the ‘Create’ button to create the project.

After creating the project, set up a basic scene through the Unity editor. Right-click in the Hierarchy window to add a new GameObject and select Terrain to create the basic terrain.

2. Installing the Networking Package

The basic networking functionality of Unity can be installed through the Unity Package Manager. Follow the steps below to install the package:

1. Select Window > Package Manager.
2. Click the plus (+) button and select ‘Add package from Git URL’.
3. Enter the following URL to add the ‘Mirror’ package:

https://github.com/vis2k/Mirror.git

Mirror is an open-source networking library for use with Unity. This package allows you to implement multiplayer games.

3. Setting up the Network Manager

To create a network room, you need to set up the NetworkManager. The NetworkManager is a crucial component that manages all network activities. Follow the steps below to set it up:

1. Create an empty GameObject in the Hierarchy and rename it to ‘NetworkManager’.
2. Add the ‘NetworkManager’ component to this GameObject.
3. Also, add the ‘NetworkManagerHUD’ component to create a basic UI.

Now you are ready to set up the network room. NetworkManagerHUD provides a basic UI to create a host or connect a client.

4. Creating and Connecting to a Room

We will add functionalities to create and connect to a room within the game. You will need to write scripts for this. Follow the steps below:

4.1 Creating a Room Creation Script

1. Create a Scripts folder in the Project window and create a ‘RoomManager.cs’ file inside it.
2. Implement the room creation functionality by entering the following code:

using UnityEngine;
using Mirror;

public class RoomManager : NetworkManager
{
    public override void OnStartServer()
    {
        Debug.Log("Server starting");
    }
    
    public override void OnStartClient()
    {
        Debug.Log("Client connected");
    }

    public void CreateRoom()
    {
        NetworkServer.Listen(7777);
        Debug.Log("Room created");
    }

    public void JoinRoom()
    {
        NetworkClient.Connect("127.0.0.1", 7777);
        Debug.Log("Connecting to room...");
    }
}

4.2 Connecting the UI and Script

1. Connect the ‘CreateRoom’ method to be called when the ‘OnHostButton’ of NetworkManagerHUD is clicked.
2. Set it up so that the ‘JoinRoom’ method is called when the ‘OnClientButton’ is clicked.

5. Setting up Player Prefab

When a player enters a room, you need to set what object will be instantiated. Here’s how to set up the player prefab:

1. Create a new GameObject and name it ‘Player’.
2. Add a ‘NetworkIdentity’ component to this GameObject and check ‘Local Player Authority’.
3. Make this GameObject a Prefab and save it in the Resources folder.
4. Add the following code to the RoomManager script to set the player prefab:

public GameObject playerPrefab;

    public override GameObject OnStartPlayer(NetworkConnection conn)
    {
        return Instantiate(playerPrefab);
    }

6. Testing and Debugging

Now that all the settings are complete, it’s time to run a test. Check if the network room creation and client connection work properly:

1. Click the ‘Play’ button in the Unity editor to start the server.
2. Run a new instance of Unity editor to connect the client.
3. Check the console logs of both server and client to verify the connection status.

7. Conclusion

You have now implemented the basic functionalities of creating and connecting to a simple network room. Through this, you have gained an understanding of the fundamentals of multiplayer game development, and learned the necessary steps to add more complex networking features in the future.

Based on what you learned from this course, you can expand on it by implementing features such as:

• Implementing a room listing feature
• Adding voice or text chat functionality
• Implementing custom player character spawning features

Network development in Unity has endless possibilities. Continue to explore the joy of multiplayer game development through various practice and experiments.